The present invention relates generally to public safety, and more particularly to a self-service crossing aid for visually and hearing impaired pedestrians.
Road intersections, such as two-way or four-way road crossings, that are alternatively used by road traffic (i.e., automobiles, buses, motorcycles, and trains, etc.) and pedestrians utilize a variety of conventional approaches to help pedestrians identify when they have the right of way (i.e., when it is safe for pedestrians to cross the intersection), such as light signals, audible signals, and tactile signals.
For visually impaired pedestrians, audible signals can be used to help identify when they have the right of way. However, at junctions with multiple crossings, it can be difficult to identify the correct audible signal for a target crossing chosen by a visually impaired pedestrian. For example, at a four-way intersection with multiple crossing zones, a visually impaired pedestrian could mistake an audible signal of a nearby crossing as an audible signal for a target crossing chosen by the pedestrian, resulting in confusion and an unsafe crossing condition.
For visually and hearing impaired pedestrians, tactile signals can be used to help identify when they have the right of way. However, it is difficult for them to tell whether they still have the right of way once they begin crossing the intersection. For example, a tactile signal may indicate to a visually and hearing impaired pedestrian when it is safe to cross, but offers no way of informing them how much time remains before it is no longer safe to cross.